Total births
2,383
Boys' name · since 1880
Ernst
2,383 babies named Ernst in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 2,383
- total births
- 1880–2021
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
2,383 boys have been named Ernst since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ernst has been recorded 2,383 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2021.
- 2,383 total births
- 1880–2021 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 16% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
2,383 boys have been named Ernst since 1880, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 2021.
- 2,383
- total births
- 1880–2021
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Ernst was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
59 babies were named Ernst in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
Ernst's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ernst's full recorded timeline at 1948, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1897, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1917 peak of 59 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ernst at a glance
Last recorded 2021Peak year
1917
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Ernst popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2021
- Peak year (1917)
- 59
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Ernst by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Ernst's strongest decade.
371 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Ernst births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 117
1880s
117 births
- 1890s 97
1890s
97 births
- 1900s 72
1900s
72 births
- 1910s
1910s
371 births
- 1920s
1920s
350 births
- 1930s
1930s
281 births
- 1940s
1940s
202 births
- 1950s
1950s
208 births
- 1960s
1960s
182 births
- 1970s
1970s
149 births
- 1980s
1980s
162 births
- 1990s 98
1990s
98 births
- 2000s 59
2000s
59 births
- 2010s 30
2010s
30 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 371 births (16% of all-time use).
How Ernst compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ernst's total volume
Ernst vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ernst by state
Where Ernst concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 124 | 5.2% |
| #2 | Wisconsin | | 115 | 4.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 61 | 2.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 30 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 28 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 13 | 0.5% |
| #7 | California | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.2% |
New York share of Ernst's total US births 5.2%
Even split
124 of 2,383 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Ernst appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ernst? ▼
Ernst has been given to 2,383 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2021. 59 babies were born in 1917, its single highest year.
When was Ernst most popular? ▼
Ernst was most popular in the 1910s decade with 371 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Ernst most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ernst are New York (124 births), Wisconsin (115 births), Illinois (61 births).
How long has the name Ernst been used? ▼
Records for Ernst go back to 1880, giving 142 years of history through 2021.
What names are similar to Ernst? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ernest, Ernesto, Ernie, Ernan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ernst's data
- Ernst's decade-level peak was the 1910s (371 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ernsts (124 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ernst
Nearby Names Like Ernst
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ernst
Ernest Boy
#1076 302,499 births
Ernesto Boy
#892 44,695 births
Ernie Boy
#6203 16,520 births
Ernan Boy
#10170 329 births
Ernestine Boy
159 births
Compare Ernst side by side: Ernst vs Ernest Ernst vs Ernesto Ernst vs Ernie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ernst: Baby Name Since 1880 - 2,383 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ernst. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ernst draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.